Caramelised Coconut Milk TartRoasted Coconut Milk Tart

There are desserts that impress, and then there are desserts that belong — the kind rooted in tradition, warmth, and the kind of comfort that feels like home. This Roasted Coconut Milk Tart takes a beloved South African classic and layers it with something unexpected: the deep, nutty richness of roasted coconut. Silky smooth, perfectly spiced, and impossible to resist, this is the tart that will have everyone asking for the recipe.

Imagine a custard so smooth it melts the moment it hits your tongue, nestled in a buttery, golden crust and kissed with the warm, toasty depth of roasted coconut. This Roasted Coconut Milk Tart is everything you love about a classic melktert — reimagined. Whether you’re serving it at a Sunday lunch, a holiday table, or just because you deserve something beautiful, this recipe delivers every single time.

Why is Milk tart so Yummy?

Milk tart is a baked or fridge tart dessert with a more milky, set-custard fill than most other sweet tarts. Its unique ratio of eggs, milk, flour and sugar give it its own special texture and weight. Originally from the Dutch settlers, this dessert dish is based on a kind of Belgium curd cake. This was then taken and perfected by generations of South Africans.

There are many different ways to make and adapt a milk tart. The traditional is to add a hint of cinnamon but you can choose to have your custard mix plain and simple. Or, like with the roast coconut flakes in this milk tart recipe, have any yummy flavour infused into it. You can play with the base too. You can make a sweet puff pastry base, a crumbly biscuit style base, a flattened smooth buttered base or even no base at all. So many ways to infuse this ingredient and create a Roasted Coconut Milk Tart.

The Benefits of Coconut

Aside from having the most amazing creamy and decadent flavour, coconut presents a variety of health benefits. It feeds your body with fiber, protein and several important minerals. And is rich in MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides), a fat believed to promote body fat loss. Coconut is a little high in calories so should be eaten in moderation, but I believe this to be true for anything that we consume. All in all coconut is a great addition to a balanced diet (and a milk tart recipe!).

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 62.5 g Butter
• ¼ cup Sugar
• 1 Egg
• ¼ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Custard Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 cup Flour

For the Coconut Filling

• 1 cup Coconut
• ½ cup Brown Sugar
• 60 g Butter

For the Custard Filling

• 1 litre Milk
• 1 tsp Butter
• 3 Eggs
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 ½ tbsp Corn Flour
• 1 ½ tbsp Cake Flour
• 1 tbsp Custard Powder
• 1 tsp Almond Essence
• Cinnamon Powder to sprinkle

Method

🥧 The crust

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F.
2. 1 Cream butter and sugar, then mix in the egg.
3. 2 Add dry ingredients. Rub with fingers until crumbly.
4. 3 Press or roll dough into pie dish. Roll slightly wider than the dish to allow for shrinkage.
5. 4 Prick base, blind bake 15 min. Line with baking paper and dried beans or rice.
6. 5 Remove paper and beans. Cool completely.

🥥 Coconut layer

1 Melt butter, add sugar and coconut. Stir until deep golden. Keep it moving — don’t let it burn.

2 Spread over cooled crust. Set aside.

🍮 Custard filling

1. Bring milk and butter to a boil over medium heat.
2. Beat eggs, sugar and salt with a mixer.
3. Mix corn flour, flour and custard powder into egg mixture.
4. Pour egg mixture into pot. Bring to boil, stir until thick. Stir constantly — don’t leave it unattended.
5. Pour into crust. Cool, then dust with cinnamon. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

ENJOY!